Dr. Graham’s Homes is quite unlike any other school. Proudly safeguarding the name of its founder and his ideals, this small island of hope and love looks with confidence to the challenges ahead, while never relinquishing the invisible threads tying it to Reverend Dr. John Anderson Graham’s great dream that led to its birth more than a hundred years ago. The Homes is committed to developing the strength of character, greater self-esteem and confidence of its students so that they may “walk this earth with dignity” whilst at the same time give of themselves for the benefit of society.

Spread over an area of 500 acres with the School as its hub, Dr. Graham’s Homes has various departments – the workshop, the farm, the estate, the bakery, the central kitchen and the hospital – all looking after the needs of more than 1500 students. There is also the Lucia King Cottage which houses pre-school children and infants, the library, the museum, the gym and the art room. Imparting a spiritual serenity, the imposing Katherine Graham Memorial Chapel completes the holistic approach and environment that the Homes embodies.

Perched on the very top of the picturesque hills of Kalimpong, the campus boasts of two football fields, a beautiful swimming pool complex, three basketball courts and enough space for the children to play, enjoy themselves and interact with each other. The Cottage System of boarding is unique and quite unlike other residential schools.

There are seven Cottages for girls and ten Cottages for boys, along with two Hostels for the senior students. Each housing 35-45 students, the Cottages are a home away from home – children refer to the Cottage staff as ‘Aunty and Uncle’, and are encouraged to help with chores, just as they would at home.

Academics

The Homes follows the curriculum prescribed by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, offering both the I.C.S.E. and I.S.C. levels. The division of streams – Science, Commerce and Humanities – takes place at the IXth standard, according to each child’s individual preference, aptitude, capability and talent.

The Science stream offers English, Environmental Education, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The Commerce stream offers English, Environmental Education, Business Mathematics, Accountancy, Economics and Commerce. The Humanities stream offers English, Environmental Education, Economics, History, Geography and Political Science. The School also offers eight second languages including Hindi, Bengali, Nepali, Tibetan, Dzongkha, Khasi, Mizo and Thai. Art, Home Science, Computer Applications, Physical Education, Technical Studies and S.U.P.W. also form a part of the curriculum.

Extra - Curricular Activities

There is a wide range of extra-curricular activities that the students can choose from – athletics, sports, games, debating, quizzing, dramatics, elocution, art, choral singing, horticulture etc. Students are also encouraged to participate in the activities of the Interact Club and in inter-house and inter-school festivals. Other facilities include the internet café, library etc. The highlights of student activities at the Homes are the wide variety of inter-cottage competitions ranging from gardening, singing and drama competitions to swimming, football, throw-ball, basketball, volleyball, cricket, badminton, table-tennis tournaments as well as athletics and cross-country races. Children are encouraged to take an active role and participate in social work through the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

There is more to the Homes than just examination results. The wider education of the child is no less a concern at the beginning of the 21st century than it had been at the beginning of the 20th, and in that sense Reverend Dr. John Anderson Graham’s vision for children has indeed stood the test of time. The children of the “Children’s City”, as the Homes is fondly referred to, have not become just another set of anonymous faces in the multitude of modern Indian schools. The boys and girls of the Homes are still set apart by the unique practices of Cottage life and the imparting of sound human values that differentiates a student of the Homes from most others.

Music has always been a special strength of the School and this is reflected in the attention that the Homes’ Choir has attracted both in India and abroad. Since 2002, the Choir has performed every December at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Kolkata and at other venues to the rapt attention and appreciation of music lovers of the city. The “Children’s City in Concert” is now a much looked forward to event in Kolkata’s winter social calendar. In 2007, the Choir was invited to tour the U.K. and received rave reviews. A group of the Homes’ children, trained to play the violin, visited Japan in January 2006 at the invitation of the Japan Committee to play alongside children of the Miyazaki Junior Orchestra.

Moving into the 21st century with the confidence that the dream of its founder, Daddy Graham, still lives on, the Homes has come full circle – from a century of caring for the children to “the School that Looks Beyond”. By preparing children to face their future –adequately equipped academically, spiritually, physically and emotionally – the circle of love and life continues, and with it, the perpetual dream to strive onwards to be “the School that Looks Beyond”.